Fabric conditioning actives applied to tumble dryer substrates generally transfer the actives onto fabrics once the actives melt inside the tumble dryer. This melting range in the dryer usually falls between 50.degree. C. and 65.degree. C. The melted active is then wicked from the tumble dryer substrate to the drying fabrics. It is known in the art to mix fabric conditioning actives with distributing agents to effectively transfer the actives from the substrate without staining the drying fabrics. See Rudy et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,238,531; Marsan et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,989,631; Edwards et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,076,633. It is also known to mix a particular fabric conditioning active, e.g., sorbitan ester, with a fatty acid soap to modify the phase and viscosity behavior of the mixture to reduce fabric staining as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,049,858.
These described mixtures, however, have only one melting point ranging from 38.degree. C. to 100.degree. C. Therefore, in melting point ranges above tumble dryer temperatures the actives do not melt effectively and are not transferred onto the fabrics.
High melting points are especially problematic in formulating desirable conditioning agents which exhibit excellent fabric care characteristics and which are environmentally friendly. See Naik et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,137,180.